The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1887-09-08

OF East Tennessee are
all food for that is best in her works.
Through these the strange manners
and customs, as well as some Of the
peculiar dialects, Of certain classes
of southern society have been
brought to view for the first time.
There is an interesting charm in |
reading of people and their peculi-
arities, which are wholly new and
strange to US if the story IS told by
one who Is familiar with them, one
who has walked and talked with
them, and the writings Of these au-
thors have this charm in an unusu-
al degree.
George Cabal rose to distinction
with almost his first literary effort,
the demand for his productions be-
ing from the first almost as great as
the supply. The reading public
recognized that writer with no
mean ability, one who bad some
thing to say and knew how to say it,
had stepped to the front and it
showed it's appreciation of worth by
making q demand for his works.
Richard M. Johnston began his
literary career at the age of forty
five. His rich store of tavern sto-
ries and his extended acquaintance
with the people of the old field
school of Georgia which his pro-
fession as lawyer gave him, sup
piled rich store of matter for lite
rary work from which he gathered
the materials for his first work,
THE Dukesborough Tales" He
neither demanded nor expected re-
enumeration for the first of these,
but at this time the south was call
ing for new resources and he went
and produced Il long series of sto
ries that at once gained for him a
reputation and placed him among
southern authors.
Miss Murfree is introduced to US
in "Where the Battle was Fought"
In this she has accurately described
her old home at MurfreesboTo,
The work IS also characterized by
her most perfectly drawn and fin
ished character, General Vane.
Miss Murfree is noted for her ener-
gy and earnestness. No obstacle
ever hindered the success of any
thing she attempted; for the sake
Of making clear one scene in ''W here
the Battle was Fought she made 4
careful study of the game of POKER !;
for the same reason she mastered
many obstruse points Of law. She
thoroughly understood human ma
ture, and pictured it so clearly and
naturally that we are interested in
spite of ourselves and admire with
out intending to do SO.
We have other fiction writers
whose tales a0d truthful descrip-
tions Of southern scenes and south
ern life are such as TO give them
deathless Immortality. ] need but
mention Joel G. Harris, Thomas
Page and Grace King to awaken IN
The memories OF my hearers most
delightful hours spent in perusing
these authors. 1t is said that h is
fathers mantle has fallen upon
young William Hayae aud he prom
ises to complete what his father had
begun. In Lafcadio Hearn we have
one of those rare combinations Of
prose and poetical writer's; and his
| STRAY Leafs from q Strange Story"
IS ss it's title seems to indicate q
most exquisite poeticai prose story.
| Had the south produced no Other
names than those mentioned il
would be sufficient to show that she
:, =, -..,..,-I-4->-+.i,- har trna nositIon In
Is IeauJ w U.-"~ 49,
the literary world, and that wher
time shall have wrapped enough
years around his beam to let bheil
light shine through the mist with 8
halo OF. antiquity they will be as re
nowned as the writers Of any time
But these are not all; the galaxy
of southern authors shines with in
creasing splendor in the literary
armament, and shows writers thai
are not acbuated by commun i'm
pulses. They are not united in
striving to make peculiar south
ern literature; this would be to mar
row the scope of true art. True i
is a characteristic literature, tht
rich variety and new fields worked
/ bv men an1 women native to it,
: soil makes it so. Yet it is a liter
allure broad enough to ell all places
, and long enough to extend to all
time, q fitting earnest of what fnl
~ developed literature shall be tina
fourishes in its own, its congenia
elements.